BACKGROUND:
Research found that low levels of professional confidence and personal comfort among neonatal clinicians regarding palliative care may indicate a lack of competence and hesitancy to offer neonatal palliative care services.
PURPOSE:
This study evaluated the factors associated with the confidence and comfort levels of neonatal clinicians providing neonatal palliative care.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional survey and questionnaire were used to investigate the confidence and comfort levels of neonatal clinicians regarding neonatal palliative care.
RESULTS:
Research subjects included 154 neonatal clinicians. Clinicians' confidence in providing neonatal palliative care was significantly impacted by age, marital status, years of professional experience (p < 0.05), and prior palliative care training. Comfort levels were significantly impacted by educational degree, marital status, and years of working experience. Clinicians with a supportive workplace reported increases in both professional confidence (r = 0.286, p < 0.001) and personal comfort (r = 0.521, p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION:
Research reveals the importance of neonatal palliative education and suggests further development of interdisciplinary neonatal palliative care teams to improve clinicians' professional confidence and personal comfort.
Relation:
Journal of Palliative Medicine 21(11), p.1558-1565
